| February 20, 2008 | Vol 9. No. 10 |
College to Launch Canisius Alert System - Faculty/Staff Asked to Update Contact Information
In the coming weeks, you will hear more about our new initiative to enhance the college’s emergency communication plan. The Connect ED communication service called Canisius Alert will launch on March 17. A time-based notification system created by Connect Ed, the Canisius Alert system will enable college officials to quickly notify faculty, staff and students in the event of an emergency, college closing or class cancellations due to inclement weather, illness pandemic or an intruder. Canisius Alert will not be used for routine communication.
To ensure that everyone is notified as soon as possible about campus emergencies, all faculty, staff and students are asked to please update their contact information. The Canisius Alert system will store one phone number in addition to your Canisius E-mail address. Click here to update your information in the Canisius Alert system.
When activated, the system sends a message within minutes via:
- Voice-mail messages to home, work and cell phones
- Text messages to cell phones, PDAs and other text-based devices
- Written messages to your Canisius E-mail account
- Messages to TTY-TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired
For more information about Canisius Alert, please contact Dr. Conley at Ext. 2130 or conley@canisius.edu.
Canisius Receives $1 Million Gift from Wendt Foundation
Canisius College has received a $1 million from The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation for A Legacy of Leadership: The Campaign for Canisius College. The gift will support the renovation and purchase of equipment for Science Hall, the college’s planned interdisciplinary science center.
“Canisius is very grateful to The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, which has been a valued supporter of the college for many years,” said John J. Hurley, executive vice president and vice president for college relations. “Their commitment to the interdisciplinary science center constitutes an invaluable endorsement of this strategic initiative that will move Canisius in important new directions in the sciences.”
The largest fund-raising initiative in the college’s 137-year history, A Legacy of Leadership aims to raise funds for capital improvements and the college’s endowment. To date, Canisius has received commitments of nearly $57 million to the campaign. For more information about the campaign, click here.
The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation is a private philanthropic organization dedicated to the support of not-for-profit organizations in Western New York.
Canisius is Recipient of Sloan Award
Canisius College will work to expand and enhance flexible career paths for its faculty, thanks to a 2007-2008 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Faculty Career Flexibility. The $200,000 award is sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE), with support from the Families and Work Institute. Boise State University, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, Simmons College and the University of Baltimore also received awards.
“We are honored to have won this prestigious award,” said Scott A. Chadwick, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. “It will provide Canisius with the opportunity to become an even more faculty-friendly and family-friendly work place.”
The Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility recognize master’s colleges and universities for their leadership and accomplishments in the implementation of groundbreaking policies and practices that support career flexibility for tenured and tenure-track faculty. Canisius will use the award to investigate the implementation of several new policies and practices designed to enhance faculty career flexibility, such as the institution of a second extension of the probationary period and the establishment of a half-time or part-time appointment with proportional salary that allows faculty to count summer teaching as part of their annual course loads.
The initiative to secure the award was led by Jerome L. Neuner, PhD, associate vice president for academic affairs. Neuner will lead the Faculty Career Flexibility efforts over the two-year life of the award. For more information, click here.
Ignatian Celebration of Scholarship Day Planned
Canisius College will hold its first annual Ignatian Celebration of Scholarship Day on Wednesday, April 16 from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Richard E. Winter ‘42 Student Center. At the event, the college’s undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to showcase their research, scholarship or performances in a conference environment. Students may submit their best works from a previous or the current semester in the following five forms of expression:
- Poster displays
- Paper presentations
- Media presentations
- Two- and three-dimensional art
- Performances (poetry, drama, vocal or instrumental music)
Burich, Cochrane Awarded Peter Canisius Professorships
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| Keith R. Burich, PhD | Mick Cochrane, PhD |
Burich, a professor of history, will use his Teaching Professorship to further develop his Native American Program, now entitled “Through Indian Eyes: Bringing History to Life.” Originally established in 2004 with support from a Peter Canisius Professorship, the program gives voice to Native Americans, and enables them to tell their history “in their own words and in their own ways.”
Students will gain new perspectives on post-Columbian history and culture not only through coursework but through a Native American speaker’s series, cultural immersion programs to Montana’s Crow Reservation and New Mexico’s and Arizona’s Navajo Reservations, and through field experiences to such places as the National Museum of the American Indian. Burich will also develop a new course entitled Historical Archeology. The course will examine Native American history from an archeological perspective and be offered to students in the Canisius All-College Honors Program.
English Professor and Writer-in-Residence Mick Cochrane will use his Peter Canisius Teaching Professorship to continue his popular Contemporary Writers Series, which was established in 1999 and was among the first Teaching Professorships awarded at Canisius. The series brings writers of national stature to campus to read from their work and to meet with students, faculty and members of the Buffalo community. It is presented in coordination with a course devoted to the study of contemporary fiction.
Faculty members are chosen for Peter Canisius Professorships through a competitive grant process that focuses on creativity and the extent to which their proposals will advance the college’s mission. To learn more, click here.
Canisius is New Home to Crime Prevention Association
Canisius College is the new home of The Crime Prevention Association of Western New York (CPAWNY), an organization that for the past 20 years has educated community members about crime prevention. Canisius College Public Safety Lieutenant James Murphy, III, led the initiative to provide CPAWNY with an office on the college’s Main Street campus. Murphy also serves as CPAWNY president.
“It is an honor to welcome The Crime Prevention Association of Western New York to the Canisius campus,” said Gary Everett, director of public safety. “We look forward to hosting the meetings and sharing information with association members from across Erie County. We also look forward to highlighting our Canisius College access system, central monitoring station, CCTV and other efforts we make to keep our campus safe.”
Everett also noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Canisius College Crime Prevention Unit, one of the first established in Erie County.
The CPAWNY provides quarterly training for law enforcement, educators and crime prevention practitioners across Western New York and is the lead organizer for National Night Out. CPAWNY is proud of its 20-year record of placing in the top 15 communities each year for its National Night Out activities.
CANISIUS EVENTS
ArtsCanisius Presents Recital
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The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
Campus Ministry “Great Auction” to Benefit Service Trips
Faculty and staff are encouraged to support the Office of Campus Ministry’s “Great Auction” to benefit student international service-immersion experiences in Mexico, El Salvador, Jamaica, Poland and India. More than 50 great prizes will be available, including Buffalo Sabres’ tickets, mountain bikes, ping pong tables and restaurant gift certificates. The event, which will include both a silent auction and theme-basket raffle, will take place on the following days:
- Tuesday, February 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Old Main, second floor lounge
- Wednesday, February 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Old Main vestibule
- Thursday, February 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Student Center lobby
International Fest
Celebrate cultures from around the world at the 19th annual “International Fest” on Friday, February 29 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Richard E. Winter ’42 Student Center. Hosted by the Office of International Student Programs, the event features an international buffet, ethnic music, dance and crafts. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here or contact the Office of International Student Programs at Ext. 2784.
Canisius to Host First WNY Brain Bee
Canisius College and the Buffalo Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience will host the first WNY Brain Bee on Saturday, March 8, 2008 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Canisius. The event is free and includes lunch with local neuroscientists. A research presentation during lunch is also planned.
The Brain Bee, a written and oral neuroscience competition for high school students, Grade 9 – 12, will test knowledge of human brain topics such as anatomy, learning, emotions, stress and neurological diseases.
Cash awards will be given to the first place ($400), second place ($150) and third place winners ($50). The first-place winner will also be eligible to represent Western New York in the National Brain Bee competition.
For more information, contact Canisius College Associate Professor of Biology Elizabeth Hogan, PhD, at hogane@canisius.edu.
Office of Multicultural Programs Presents PlayThe Office of Multicultural Programs will present “Our Young Black Men Are Dying and Nobody Seems to Care,” a play which confronts real issues that face contemporary American society, on Thursday, March 13 in the Montante Cultural Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. with a performance by the Canisius College Gospel Ensemble.
The language in this show is similar to that of a PG-13 rated movie, however, the content is sometimes of an adult nature and may be deemed inappropriate for some audiences.
For more information, click here or contact the Office of Multicultural Programs at Ext. 2787.
Cannon Fizpatrick Lecture
Carl Cannon (right), Washington bureau chief for Reader’s Digest and contributing editor for National Journal, spent time talking with students after his lecture in the Grupp Fireside Lounge on Wednesday, January 23. Cannon’s lecture, entitled “Tribulations of the First MBA President and What Americans Want in Their Next Chief Executive,” was presented under the auspices of the William H. Fitzpatrick Chair of Political Science Lecture Series.
Daniels Contemporary Writers’ Series Reading
More than 200 people turned out to hear acclaimed poet and fiction writer Jim Daniels read from his works in the Grupp Fireside Lounge on Thursday, February 7. Daniels lecture was sponsored by the college’s Contemporary Writers Series.
CANISIUS KUDOS
Four Professors Honored at First Arts and Sciences Awards Ceremony
Martha Malkiewicz, adjunct professor of fine arts, recipient of the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award, at the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Awards Celebration.
Four faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences were honored for outstanding service at the school’s first annual Faculty Awards Celebration on Saturday, February 2. More than 50 people were on hand for the event.
Martha Malkiewicz, adjunct professor of fine arts, received the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award; Frank J. Dinan, PhD, professor of chemistry/biochemistry, received the Full-time Faculty Teaching Award; Melissa B. Wanzer, EdD, received the Faculty Scholarship Award and Mariusz M. Kozik, PhD, chair and professor of chemistry/biochemistry; received the Faculty Service Award. The event was held in the college’s Montante Cultural Center.
"It is wonderful to have another venue to recognize all of the great things the faculty at Canisius do," said Paula McNutt, PhD, dean of arts and sciences. "The members of the faculty committee who organized the event did a great job to make the event festive."
Three Faculty Awarded Summer Grants
Three Canisius faculty members have been awarded Summer Proposal Development Grants. The grants, worth $5,000 each, are intended to support faculty who work over the summer to prepare proposals for external funding from government or private sources. This year’s awardees include:
Eileen M.
Angelini, PhDHelen M.
Hull Sanders, PhDMary C.
O’ Sullivan, PhD
- Eileen M. Angelini, PhD, chair and associate professor of modern languages, “Exploring the Impact of the Silent Revolution on Quebecois Literature and Culture”
- Helen M. Hull Sanders, PhD, assistant professor of biology, “Researching the Effects of Genetically Modified Corn on Non-Targeted Leaf Feeding Beetles”
- Mary C. O’ Sullivan, PhD, professor of chemistry/biochemistry, “The Development of Novel Anti-Trypanosomal Agents”
Two Canisius-Produced Documentaries Selected for Buffalo Niagara Film Festival
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Produced by Digital Media Arts majors Kirsten Jahn ’07 and Scott Richardson ’09, the Central Terminal documentary traces the history of the building, its architectural and social significance, and the efforts of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation to bring the building back to life.
The Canisius College Video Institute is funded in part by the John R. Oishei Foundation and directed by Barbara J. Irwin, PhD, chair of the Communication Studies Department. To read more about it, click here.
Elephas Maximus was written, directed and produced by Dr. Noonan, with assistance from his Canisius Ambassadors in Conservation (CAC) students, and was shot on-location in Sri Lanka (summer 2004). The documentary was videotaped by Erik T. Michaelsen, instructional media technician, and edited by Nathan A. Johnson, both from the Canisius College Media Center. Elephas Maximus takes viewers into the animal’s natural habitat and tells the story of its dependence on plants and the land that supports them, and concludes with highlights of the various positive steps humanity is beginning to take to preserve the Asian elephant, its habitat and ultimately its future.
The BNFF is a week-long international film festival and market at various venues around the Buffalo-Niagara area from March 24-29. For more information, click here to visit their Web site.
Public Safety Lieutenants Commended for Efforts
(l-r) Ellen O. Conley, PhD, vice president for student affairs; James A. Murphy, lieutenant for public safety; and Gary Everett, director of public safety. Not pictured: John F. Hach, lieutenant for public safety.
Canisius College Public Safety Lieutenants James A. Murphy and John F. Hach were recently honored for their assistance to the Buffalo Police Department (BPD) in the arrest of suspects in two cases. Hach reported a car wanted in a series of burglaries in the Parkside area to the Buffalo Police, which resulted in the suspects’ arrest. Murphy arrested three suspects who were wanted by the BPD for painting graffiti on several buildings, including Forest Lawn Mausoleums and Demerly Hall. The ceremony took place in the office of Ellen O.Conley, PhD, vice president for student affairs on January 23.
Dierenfield Book Lauded by Historical Literature Project
History Professor Bruce J. Dierenfield, PhD, is the recipient of the 2007 Langum Prize in American Legal History. Presented by The Langum Project for Historical Literature, the award recognizes authors, whose books contain themes that touch upon matters of general concern to the American public, are rooted in sound scholarship and accessible to the general public. Dierenfield was honored for his new book The Battle Over School Prayer: How Engel v. Vitale Changed America. The book chronicles the 1962 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that determined it was unconstitutional for the New York State Board of Regents to compose a non-denominational prayer and mandate that it be recited each day in public schools. Dierenfield will receive the award in March during a ceremony at the Birmingham Public Library. The Langum Project for Historical Literature is a small, private operating foundation that annually makes book awards in various categories.
McConnell Publishes Second Edition
Jeffrey J. McConnell, PhD, chair of computer science, recently published a second edition of his widely-used textbook Analysis of Algorithms. Updated to meet new recommendations put forth by the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (ACM/SIGCSE), the new edition examines the effects that algorithms (the instructions used to write a computer program) have on the efficiency of a computer program, and helps students develop the skills necessary to analyze general algorithms used in programs. Volonino Named Senior Editor of IS Journal
Linda A. Volonino, PhD, CISSP, chair of information systems, is the new senior editor of Information Systems Management (ISM). A quarterly journal, ISM focuses on the on-going exchange of academic research, best practices, and insights based on managerial experience.The journal’s goal is to advance the practice of information systems management through this exchange. Each issue features themed papers examining a particular topic. In addition to themed papers, the journal regularly publishes on the following topics in IS management.
In addition, a review of a textbook Volonino co-authored, entitled Computer Forensics: Principles and Practices (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007), recently appeared in the Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law. Click here to read the review.